RT-AC86U (384.7.2) not acting as master browser

[Snapshot]

My RT-AC86U has 'Force as Master Browser' set under USB Application/Network Place (etc) and this has been keeping browsing working happily across my mixed W7/W8/W10/WHS 2011/Linux/FreeBSD LAN. All of a sudden (possibly following a brief power cut) this is no longer working and my W7 PC & WHS server couldn't browse the LAN until I powered up my W8 PC which grabbed the master browse role.

I've tried toggling 'Act as Master Browser' on the router and rebooting it but this didn't help. I haven't yet tried restoring a saved configuration. I'd appreciate suggestions on how to persuade my router to take responsibility as master browser again.

 

[ColinTaylor]

Perhaps you have another device on your network that had become the master browser. Use your preferred utility to check which device is the MB and make sure it is running SMBv1.

There was a firmware change recently whereby you had to have Samba enabled on the router for it to be a MB. Previously that wasn't required. But if you say your router hasn't changed....

 

[agilani]

My RT-AC86U has 'Force as Master Browser' set under USB Application/Network Place (etc) and this has been keeping browsing working happily across my mixed W7/W8/W10/WHS 2011/Linux/FreeBSD LAN. All of a sudden (possibly following a brief power cut) this is no longer working and my W7 PC & WHS server couldn't browse the LAN until I powered up my W8 PC which grabbed the master browse role.

I've tried toggling 'Act as Master Browser' on the router and rebooting it but this didn't help. I haven't yet tried restoring a saved configuration. I'd appreciate suggestions on how to persuade my router to take responsibility as master browser again.

master browser functionality is part of smb1 which was deprecated/disabled in the most recent versions of windows. I don't know that it should impact the older windows 7, windows 8, os's because as i understand it they have been dropped from the support list and getting any updates.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4034314/smbv1-is-not-installed-by-default-in-windows

I don't know which other vendors may be disabling smbv1 as well. It has vulnerabilities that are not going to be fixed.

You can always access the devices directly by ip. Or setup a windows dns server with active directory dns.

 

[Snapshot]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's definitely an SMB problem and it really doesn't matter how much SMB1 is depreciated if nothing works without it. A Windows server running AD is completely inappropriate for my use and an unnecessary expense - I am a pensioner after all.....

I took ColinTaylor's advice and made sure the router's Samba share was set to ON and that protocol was set to SMB1. This causes the W7 & W8.1 clients to be able to see the router but not themselves, each other or the NAS.

I think I'll power everything down this afternoon then bring it back one at a time, starting with the router.

 

[kernol]

Thanks for the suggestions. It's definitely an SMB problem and it really doesn't matter how much SMB1 is depreciated if nothing works without it. A Windows server running AD is completely inappropriate for my use and an unnecessary expense - I am a pensioner after all.....

I took ColinTaylor's advice and made sure the router's Samba share was set to ON and that protocol was set to SMB1. This causes the W7 & W8.1 clients to be able to see the router but not themselves, each other or the NAS.

I think I'll power everything down this afternoon then bring it back one at a time, starting with the router.

If that does not work - follow the advice in this link - worked for me some time back when I had a similar problem.
https://pattersonsupport.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8124/~/disable-the-master-browser

You may need to do that on each PC to eliminate another one from grabbing the Master Browser function.
Once done - bring up the Router first and then the various PC's.
NB - suggest you keep Samba Protocol as BOTH SMBv1 and SMBv2 [especially if you have Windows 10 PC's in the mix].

 

[Snapshot]

Well I eventually got round to shutting everything down. I flipped the power switches or pulled the mains leads on all the PCs and servers. I even turned off the RP-AC68U that's in media bridge mode, just to be complete. I then powered up the router and, once that had settled, powered up my main W7 Pro PC. I use a utility called lanscan.exe which tells me what's visible and what's master browser but it only showed the router, not as master browser so no change. Shouldn't the router grab the master browser role if it's the only thing switched on?

I checked the link @kernol provided although I was sure I'd done this on the W7 PC a long time ago and found what I had done (IsDomainMaster=FALSE) was the XP setting rather than the W7 onwards setting of MaintainServerList=FALSE. So I've made that change and will report back when I've rebooted everything again.

 

[Snapshot]

So this time I even turned off the printer and the Sam Knows monitoring box that sits between router and switch. And we're back! I brought the various devices in one-at-a-time, starting with the W8.1 PC then the NAS and when lanscan told me the router was master again I knew we were in business. So I've now peaked at eight different devices, all on different OSs (ish) and all visible to the Windows PCs. I'd really like to know if there was an un-reported device stopping the router from being master browser but I doubt I'll ever find out. Thanks to all of you who contributed to the thread.

 

[unsynaps]

I love when people go out of their way to re-enable services and software that has been depreciated for not just being old but a security risk.

 

[ColinTaylor]

I love when people go out of their way to re-enable services and software that has been depreciated for not just being old but a security risk.

Everything in IT (and life) is a risk. It's about understanding what the risks are and making an informed choice.

 

[Snapshot]

I love when people go out of their way to re-enable services and software that has been depreciated for not just being old but a security risk.

As I said earlier, it doesn't matter how much it's depreciated if nothing works without it. If you can tell me how to get rid of SMB1 and keep network browsing across all my clients then I'll try it.

 

[eddiez]

As I said earlier, it doesn't matter how much it's depreciated if nothing works without it. If you can tell me how to get rid of SMB1 and keep network browsing across all my clients then I'll try it.

It (the core functionality of data transport) still works with SMB 2/3. Only discovery is just not automatic anymore, you manually need to add a network share. The feature of automatic browsing can be considered to be lost in order to tighten security. Sh*t happens, evolution sometimes has this drawback (just like seatbelts in a car prevent you from reaching on the backseat )

 

[Snapshot]

As a grumpy old man who's been browsing shares since Windows was able to do it (did WfG 3.xx support browsing or just mapping?) I don't see this as evolution, merely sloppy workmanship. But it's a very long time since I did any software development and none of it was PC-based so perhaps keeping browsing was more difficult than I imagine.

There's an interesting entry in the Windows networking section of my new NAS which may suggest that browsing is still possible without SMB1 so that might keep me entertained over the weekend. Being able to browse the NAS is all I really need.

 

[mgrobins]

in windows you can go to file explorer and under my PC in the folder list create a new network location (not a network share under Network). Use the IP for your device (eg NAS) and have it added to your quicklinks as a shortcut. This was my workaround to losing the Network browsing capability of SMB1.

I do have a couple of devices that still must have SMB1 to be accessible (popcorn hour A400 media streamer for one). YOu can go into the windows 10 setup and add smb1 back in manually.